Alma Economics was commissioned by the Ministry of Justice to review the literature on the built prison environment in order to inform the development of a long-term prison estates strategy. For this purpose, we developed a map summarising current evidence related to the physical aspect of prison design. Our evidence map summarises evidence focussing on the following key research areas:
(i) Establishing the various dimensions of the prison environment. Understanding the range of factors within the prison environment which may determine outcomes for prisoners and staff, including (but not limited to): prison size, cell size, cell sharing, acoustic qualities, aesthetic qualities, sightlines, amenities, sanitation, security level, open vs closed, prison normalisation models, digital technology, prisoner density, prison maintenance and repair needs
(ii) Understanding the linkages between different dimensions of the prison environment and outcomes for different cohorts of prisoners, prison staff, and the public. Understanding the full scope of impacts the prison environment has on these groups, including (but not limited to): impacts on outcomes such as reoffending, substance abuse, staff and public safety, physical and mental health outcomes for prisoners and staff, public finance implications, and the environment.
(iii) Understanding the policy implications of research on prison environment for UK prison estates. Drawing on any conclusions from the research in terms of recommendations for shaping the long-term prison estates strategy, such as areas of the UK prison estate which could be targeted for additional investment or cohort-specific initiatives. International evidence is also drawn upon, including best practice and prison models applied abroad in comparable jurisdictions, to establish any learning which may be applicable in the UK context.
The evidence map categorises the research studies into the 10 broad themes relating to focus of the study and the 6 groupings of jurisdiction of focus. Each cell includes the number of papers that correspond to specific themes and groupings of jurisdiction. By clicking on a cell, a tab appears. This tab includes the titles of the research studies exploring the relevant research theme (x-axis) and the jurisdiction which was the focus of the study (y-axis).
Supplementary information includes: (i) for working papers and research articles published in academic journals, the abstracts are presented, (ii) the author(s), (iii) publication date, (vi) a web link to the study of interest. Our map is interactive; it includes filters that allow users to swiftly explore the evidence of interest. Users can choose between the following filters: type of publication, dateof publication, and our methodology quality assessment.
Note 1: One study might examine more than one primary research theme meaning that the same study might appear in more than one cell.
Note 2: “Comparable” jurisdictions refer to jurisdictions with prison regimes which are deemed similar in nature to that of England and Wales, such as in terms of budget per prisoner. Examples of jurisdictions deemed comparable include Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy.
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